Heel-breasting machine



R. E. LAUGHTUN AND P. E. BARNES.

HEEL BREASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-17.13MB.

PatenbedSept. 7, 1920, ,:[-g. :EETS-SHEET 1.

R. E. LAUGHTON AND P. E. BARNES.

HEEL BREASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED on. n, ma.

PatentedSept. 7, 1920.

2 SHfETS SHEET 2.

2 a b "I I. M In V 4 5 xwm V {UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. LAUGHTON AND PHILIP E. BARNES, OF HAV'ERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOBS TO HAMEL SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- crrusn'r'rs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT E. LAUGH- TON and PHILIP E. BARNES citizens of the surface of the shoe for trimming material from the heel, difficulty is experienced in preventing over-travel of the knife toward the sole surface, such over-travel causing the knife to cut into the sole and thereby cause damage to the shoe. While various devices have been proposed for overcoming this difliculty, many of these are unsatisfactory in practice owing to the great varia tions in, the heights of heels, thickness and degree of hardness of soles, and heights of last employed.

' The present invention has therefore been devised with the object of making more certainand effective the operation of such machines by the provision of mechanism arranged to stop the operation of the breasting knife at substantially the instant at which its edge comes into contact with the sole surface.

This invention among other things contemplates the employment of a feeler member arranged to be brought into contact with the shoe sole adjacent the heel just prior to the actuation of the knife, suitable mechanism being provided whereby the position of such feeler serves to determine the limit of cutting movement of the knife whereupon the knife is immediately withdrawn.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means under control of the operator and entirely independent of the knife-actuating mechanism for bringing said feeler into c intact with the sole.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

HEEL-BREASTING MACHINE.

Application filed October 17, 1918. Serial No. 258,492.

The invention also comprises a novel connecting device for transmitting motion to the knife from the knife-actuating means, such connecting device being under control of the feeler.

As a further and valuable feature, the invention contemplates the employment in a machine having a variable stroke knife of a fixed work support against which the tread surface of the heel is pressed and which thus serves under all circumstances to determine the point in the travel of the knifeat which it shall initiate its cutting action. In other words, this device makes certain that one limit of the active cutting stroke, of the knife shall be fixed, variations in said stroke length occurring at one end only thereof, thus greatly increasing the certainty of operation. V

The invention also comprises the employment of a novel adjustable device for bringing the heel into contactwith said support, said device being positive in its action.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention together with im roved arrangements of parts and details 0 construetion will be hereinafter set forth more at length in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the annexed drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a heel breasting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section lookin toward the rear, and

ig. 4 is a rear elevation, partly in section and showing details of the interior construction'.

1 indicates the base of the machine from which rises a column 2, the lower ortion of this column, at the right hand side t ereof, providing a bearing 3 in which is mounted a drive shaft 4, the right hand extremity of such shaft being supported in a bearing carried in a bracket5 upstanding fromthebase 1. Loose on the shaft 4 and between the bracket 5 and the column 2 is a drive pulley 6, which may be operatively connected with the shaft 4 by means of a clutch mechanism indicated generally at 7 and which may be of any usual and well known construction. 8 is a lever pivoted within the lower portion of the column 2 and having a link 9 connected to its outer extremity, said link serving as the operating element for the clutch 7. The lever 8 ma v be actuated to cause the pulley 6 to be clutc ed to the shaft 4 by means of a foot treadle 10 of usual construction.

Upon the extremity of the shaft 4 within the column 2 is a crank disk 11 having crank pin 12 fixed therein, said crank pin servin as means for reciprocating a connecting rode 12 the lower end of which is pivoted upon said pin. Upon the interior of the column 2 at its up er portion and upon the forward and rear aces of the same are provided guide-ways 13, within which is mounted for vertical reciprocation an actuator slide 14, said slide being operatively connected by means of a pin 15 near its lower extremity with the upper end of the connecting rod 12*, whereby rotation of shaft 4 produces a recip rocation of said actuator slide 14 within its gm'deways.

15 is a second 'set of guidewaysparallel to the .guidewa'ys 13 within which is reciprocablyflmounted a knife-supporting slide 16.

i The left hand side of the column 2 is open and extendin outwardly through such open side of the co umn is a bracket 17 fixedly secured to the slide 16, said bracket forming a support for a knife 18 which may be secured to said bracket by any desired form of adjustable clamping means, the knife 18 serving as the tool for performing the breast ing operation. The slide 16 is provided at its central portion with a longitudinal slot 1'9 extendin therethrough and within which is pivoted f'dr swinging movement by means of a pin 21, a pawl member 20,the upper portion of said pawl member being normally forced rearwardly by means of a spring 22, a stop lug 22 servin to limit such rearward movement. Upon t e right hand face of said pawl is a member 23 providing upper and lower cam inclines 24, 25, respectively, the purpose of which will be hereafter disclosed.

The slide 14 is also provided with a central slot 26 extending longitudinally thereof and into which may project the cam-carrying member-.23, said slide 14 being also provided upon its left hand face, adjacent the upper end of' the slot 26, with an outwardly projecting lug 27 adapted for engagement with the upper extremit of the pawl member 20. Inspection of *ig. 3 will clearly indicate that with the parts in the position there shown any downward movement of the slide 14 will by reason of the engagement of lug 27 with pawl 20, serve to produce a correspending movement of the knife-carrying do 16. Projecting downwardly from the lower end of the slide --16 are a pair of rods 28,

guided at their lower extremities in openinge in'lu s 29 formed arr-the column 2,and between t e upper faces ofsaid lugs and the lower extremity of the slide 16 are located springs 30 encirclin the rods 28} and serving normally to maintain the slide, 1b in its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 13,

Within the column 2 and adjacent the upper portion of the front wall thereof is mounted a slide member 31 guided for vertical reciprocation by means of pins 32, 33 passing through slots in said guide member and fixed in the wall of column 2. 34: is a light tension spring connected to the upper end of slide 31, and serving normally to maintain the same in its u permost position as clearly indicated in ig. 4. 35 is a bracket carried by slide 31 and projecting to the right thereof, (as seen in Fig. 4) said bracket having at its extremity an inclined cam face 36 arranged to lie in the path of movement of the cam-carrying member 23 of pawl 20 when the latter is moved downwardly with the slide 16. 38 (Fig. 2) is a pin projecting forwardly from the bracket 35 and extending through a slot 37 in the" forward wall of column 2, said pin having fixed thereon, by means of a set screw 40, and outside said column, an arm 39 which extends to the left of said column and which is provided at its extremity with 'a pad 41 adapted to contact with the shank portion of a shoe sole when the latter is properly positioned for the operation of knife 18, said am 39 constituting a workcontacting feeler fin er.

'fhe above parts are so proportioned that were the feeler finger 39 to be held in fixed position, as shown in Fi 4, and the slide 14 reciprocated downwardly carrying therewith the slide 16, engagement of cam face 30 with cam incline 25 of cause the latter to swing to t e right, (Fig. 4), and to become disengaged from the lug 27 at that moment in the downward movement of the knife-carrying slide at which the edge of the knife had reached the horizontal plane of the pad 41.

Near the lower portion of the column 2 at its left hand face are parallel guide members 42, 42 in which is mounted for vertical reciprocation a slide member 43. Projecting to the left from said slide member is a pin 44 upon which is pivotally mounted a work support comprising an extensible rod consisting of upper and lower portions 45, 45*, respectively, said portions being connected by means permitting of their relative longitudinal ac justment, such means as herein shown comprising a hand wheel 46 forming a nut arranged to engage the oppositely threaded extremities of said upper and awl 20 would device being of old and well known construction in the art. Upon the upper extremity of the rod 45 is a last-engaging pin 47 adapted to be inserted in the usual hole formed in a last, whereby the latter may be positioned during the operation of the knife upon the heel of the shoe carried upon said last.

The lower edge of the slide 43 is provided with an inclined cam surface 48. 49 is a member mounted in guides upon the lower portion of the column 2 for movement in a horizontal direction, said slide 49 being provided with an inclined cam face 50 which is complemental to cam surface 48 and engages the latter.

53 is a pin projecting laterally from the face of slide 49 and engaging the forked upper extremity 56 of the arm 55 of a bell crank lever 51 fixed near the lower portion of the column 2 upon the outer extremity of a rod 54 having bearings in the walls of said-column. The other arm of said bell crank lever is provided at its forward extremity with a foot treadle 57, such treadle and lever being normally held in the position. shown in Fig. 1 by means of a spring 58.

Fixed to the rod 54 and within the column 2 is an arm 59 to the forward extremity of which is connected a rod 60 which passes upwardly through an opening 60 in the front wall of the column 2 and is provided at its'upper end with a horizontally arranged loop 61. 62 is a second rod having its upper extremity pivotally connected to the pin 38 carried by bracket 35 of slide 31, said rod passing downwardly through the loop 61 and having its lower end bent hor zontally to form a loop 63 surrounding T3! 60, a spring 64 slightly heavier than spr'm 34 being interposed between said loops (31 and 63 normall serving to maintain the rods 62 and 60 in relatively retracted position.

At the upper portion of the column 2 is mounted a heel plate 64, said plate being pivoted for adjustment about a pin 65 projecting from the face of the column and iaving a lug 66 adapted to abut against the end of an adjusting screw 67 68 is a spring which normally tends to hold said plate 64 in position with lug 66 contacting with said screw 67 As will be noted from inspection of Fig. 2 the heel plate 64", the last-supporting pin 47 the knife 18 and the work-contacting end of feeler finger 39 are so located as to be intersected by a single front-to-rear vertical plane.

The operation of the above mechanism is as follows, the parts being initially in the position as shown in Fig. 4. The operator first draws the work support for wardl and places the last upon the pin 47. he work support is then moved rearwardly until the heel of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 1, lies directly below the heel plate 64, the latter, it will be noted, being so mounted as to be incapable of any upward movement except such as is provided by the adjusting screw 67, the purpose of such adjustment being merely to permit said plate to be positioned parallel to the surface of the heel being operated upon. The operator new places his foot upon treadle 57 and depresses the same, the first result of which is that the rod 60 is drawn downwardly and through the spring 64 causes a downward movement of slide 31 together with the feeler finger 39 whereby the pad 41 is caused to contact with the shoe solo in the shank with a comparatively light pressure. During this movement of the treadle, the fork 56 which provides for lostmotion between the parts moves freely with respect to the pin 53 but after the feeler linger 39 has come into contact with the shoe sole the rear arm of the fork 56 contacts with pin 53 and thereupon slide 49 is moved forwardly. The forward movement of the slide 49 through the wedge action of the cams 50 and 48 serves to raise the shoe support until the heel of the shoe is forcibly brought into contact with the heel plate 64.

By reason of the fact that the heel plate is rigidly supported, it will be evident that the top surface of the heel remains in substantially the same plane throughout the cutting action of the knife and that the operation of the latter will always be initiated at substantially the same point in its downward stroke. llhile the inclination of the wedge members 50 and 48 is such that the shoe support will normally remain in the position to which it is raised by the action of the treadle, it has been thought desirable, in order to avoid any possibility of downward movement of the same during the actuation of the knife, to provide a spring-locking pawl 70 fast to the base 1 of the machine, and provided with teeth 71 adapted to engage the edge of an opening in the treadle, pressure upon said pawl by the operators toe serving to disengage the same when it is desired to permit the treadle to rise.

As stated in the foregoing description the feeler finger is first brought into contact with the sole of the shoe prior to the. upward movement of the shoe support, but by reason of the yielding connection between the rods 62 and 60 the feeler finger is allowed to rise with the shoe, upon lifting of the shoe support, the spring 64 being of sulliciently yielding character to permit the feeler finger to rest lightly upon the surface of the shoe.

The parts being thus positioned, the operator places his foot upon the treadle 10 thereby actuating the clutch 7 and causing a rotation of shaft 4. As the crank pin 12 revolves slide 14 is moved downwardly and through engagement of lug 27 with the end of pawl 20 causes the knife-carrying slide 16 to move downward also. Owing to the prior downward movement of the feeler finger 39 the bracket 35 with its cam face 36 will have been moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4, and the knifecarrying slide 16 will therefore move downwardly to a certain extent before the cam face 25 again engages the cam surface 36. \Vhen these elements are brought into engagement the pawl is pushed to the left until the upper end thereof is thrown out of engagement with the lug 27 whereupon the latter continues its downward movement to the extent of the throw of crank pin 12, the knife-carrying slide, however, being immediately restored to its uppermost position by means of the springs 30. If for any reason pawl 20 should be moved so far down as to carry member 23 bodily below bracket 35, cam surface 24 would, upon upwardmovemcnt of the pawl, act to permit the member 23 to pass up by bracket 35 to assume its normal position.

As above pointed out the relative arrangement of the parts comprising the knife-disengaging mechanism is such that the cutting edge of the knife can only be depressed to a position in the horizontal plane of the pad 41 of the feeler 39, the pawl being released when this position is attained thus preventing any overthrow of the knife or cutting of the shank of the shoe thereby.

While it is recognized that prior machines have employed abutment members carried by the knife slide and coming into contact with the sole of the shoe thereby preventing further downward movement of the knife, and while it is also recognized as old to employ an adjustably fixed member carried by the frame of the machine, and which serves to disengage the knife from its actuating mechanism when the knife has reached a predetermined point in its path of movement, it is believed to be new with this invention to provide a feeler which is brought into contact with the sole surface under a relatively light pressure prior to initiation of the cutting action of the knife, and which serves without subjecting the sole to any substantial pressure to disengage the knife from its actuating means substantially at that instant at which the edge of the knife comes into contact with the sole surface. This arrangement of parts presents a distinct advantage over prior devices, as in those cases in which an abutment member is brought under heavy pressure against the sole of the shoe, such abutment may either fail to operate satisfactorily, due to variations in density of the sole, or cause actual injury to the sole, such as to decrease the value of the product; while on the other hand those mechanisms which require the operator to first fix the proper limiting point in the knife stroke by setting a gage at what he thinks to be the height of the shoe sole are more or less inaccurate and cause delays in operation. In the present device, however, the sole surface acts as the predetermining element to fix the point at which the knife shall stop in its downward movement and the pressure of the feeler finger against the sole is so light that the operation thereof is substantially unaffected by the character of the Sole, nor is the latter liable to injury due to the contact of such member with the same.

IVhile the mechanism as disclosed in the drawings is a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the specific combination of parts and details of construction may be made therein without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having now described the invention and a preferred embodiment of the same, together with the operation thereof, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is,

1. In a heel breasting machine, in combination, a work support, a knife reciprocable toward and from said support, an actuator for said knife, means normally operative to connect said knife to its actuator, and a work-contacting device supported independently of said knife and actuator and constructed and arranged to disconnect said connecting means.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a work support, a knife reciprocable toward and from said support, an actuator for said knife, means operative to connect said knife to its actuator, and a work-contacting feeler supported for movement independently of said actuator and knife, and constructed and arranged to render inoperative said connecting means.

3. In a machine of the classdescribed, in combination, a work support, a knife reciprocable toward and from said support, a feeler finger movable toward and from said work support and independently of the knife, means controlled by said feeler finger for limiting the movement of said knife toward the support and means for retracting said knife immediately on such limitation being effected.

4. In a machine of the class described, in combination, an operating tool, means for reciprocating the tool in one direction, means for returning said tool to initial position, a work contacting feeler mounted independent of said tool, and means controlled by the position of said feeler for limiting movement of said knife in said direction, and thereuponallowing said returning means to act to return said tool.

, 5. In a heel breastin machine, in combination, a reciprocable Imreasting knife, disengageable means for actuating the same, a work support, and means movable into eonta'ct withvvdrk carried by said support prior to actuation 'ofsaid knife, and arranged to determine disengagement of said knife from its actuating means.

6. In a heel breasting machine in combination, a knife, disengageable actuating means for reci rocating the same, a work support, a fee er finger reciprocable in a path parallel to that of the knife, means controlled by the position of said feeler finger for disengaging said knife from its actuating means, a foot treadle and connections between said treadle and finger whereby the latter may be caused to rest upon the surface of work carried by said support.

7. In a heel breasting machine, in combination, a work support, a reciprocable knife slide, an actuator slide reciprocable in a plane parallel to said knife slide, a springpressed pawl carried by said knife slide and normally engaging said actuator slide whereby to operatively connect said slides, a feeler member movable manually toward and from said support and means associated with said feeler for disengaging said pawl from the actuator slide.

8. In a breasting machine, a reciprocable knife slide, means for actuating said slide comprising a power-driven member, means for operatively connecting the latter to said slide, said means comprising a cam element, and a manually positionable device having a cam face engageable with said cam element whereby upon relative movement of said connecting means and device said connecting means may be rendered inoperative to connect said knife slide and its actuating means,

9. In a heel breasting machine, in combination, a frame provided with pairs of parallel guideways, a knife slide and an actuator slide reciprocable in said guideways, a spring-pressed pawl carried by the knife slide and having a cam incline thereon, an abutment on said actuator slide for normal driving engagement with the pawl, a third slide member guided for movement in the frame parallel to said first named slides and having a cam face engageable with said cam incline, and means for positioning said third slide with its cam face in the path of reciprocation of said pawlcarried cam incline.

10. In a heel breasting machine, in combination, a frame, a work support, three slide members guided for vertical reciprocation in said frame, said members comprising respectively a knife support, a feeler support, and an actuator, resilient means normally tending to raise said knife and feeler supports, power means for recipromeans normally operative to connect said knife support and actuator whereby the first is driven by the latter, means for depressing said feeler slide to a redetermined position, and means carried' y said slide for rendering inoperative the means connecting said knife support and actuator in accordance with such position of the feeler slide.

11. In a power-breasting machine, a reciprocable knife, actuating mechanism there for including a clutch element, a workcontacting feeler member, means controlled by the position of said member for determining the length of stroke of the knife, and a treadle device for positioning said feeler member.

12. In a heel breasting machine having a vertically reciprocable knife and a relatively fixed heel plate, a slide member guided for vertical reciprocation, a second slide member guided for reciprocation transversely of said first member and below the same, the respective slides being provided with complemental cam inclines, a rod carried by said first slide and having a last-engaging pin at its upper end, and a treadle member having a lost-motion connection with said second slide member.

13. In a heel breasting machine having a vertically reciprocable knife and a relatively fixed heel plate, in combination, a. member guided for sliding movement toward and from said plate, a longitudinally extensible rod pivoted at one end to said slidable member and provided at its op posite end with a last-supporting pin, a movable wedge cam engageable with one end of said slide for imparting movement thereto, a spring tending to move said wedge cam in one direction and a treadle for moving said cam in the opposite direction.

14. In a breasting machine having a reciprocating knife, a relatively fixed heel plate, and power driven actuating means for the knife, in combination, a shoe support movable toward and from said heel plate, a knife-controlling feeler finger movable toward and from a shoe carried by said support, and a single manually actuable member for moving said shoe support and feeler finger into operative position.

15. In a heel breasting machine, in combination, a reciprocable knife, means for actuating the same, a relatively fixed heel plate, a feeler finger movable toward and from a shoe carried by the support and constructed and arranged to limit the stroke of the knife in accordance with the position of said finger, and a single manually actuable device operative to move said feeler finger and support successively into operative position.

eating said actuator,

16. In a, heel breasting machine, in com- \bination. a knife, means for actuating the same, a. heel late, a shoe support movable toward and mm said plate, a knife-controlling feeler finger mounted for movement toward and from a shoe carried by the support, and a single treadle member having a lost-motion connection with the shoe .supffaort and a yielda'ble connection with sal feeler fin er, whereby the treadl'e serves 10 to actuate sai devices successively.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

ROBERT E. LAUGHTON. PHILIP E. BARNES. 

